Spirits were high among the Real World roommates when seven of them swung by the MTV studio two weeks ago to film their reunion special. Still, a bittersweet vibe that something -- or more pointedly, someone -- was missing seemed to permeate each interview we conducted with the cast. Their eighth roommate and dear friend, Ryan, couldn't make the taping because he was in the thick of training for his upcoming Iraq tour. Or so everyone thought...

What none of them knew before showtime was that Ryan had been secretly hanging out (playing Rock Band!) on the 23rd floor of our building, waiting anxiously to surprise everyone on stage with his military presence. MTV successfully kept it under wraps that Ryan was given special permission from The Army to say his final goodbyes in person. And while the minutes until his big reveal ticked away, we took the opportunity to ask Ryan some final questions about his impending trip back to the Middle East. Watch the video to see where his head and heart were at 15 days before deployment.